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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26515246">Wallets, Photographs and Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/basketcase1880/pseuds/basketcase1880'>basketcase1880</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Family Bonding [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EastEnders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>After the doof doof, Family Fluff, M/M, Missing Scene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:29:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26515246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/basketcase1880/pseuds/basketcase1880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Ben and Callum reunited in January when Ben decided not to leave the Square, what happened that night? Where did that photo we saw on the end table in the flat come from? Here’s how I imagine it went after the doof doof on 24th of January.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Family Bonding [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>ballum lockdown</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wallets, Photographs and Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenkmyers/gifts">laurenkmyers</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my entry to the Ballum Quarantine Gift Exchange over on tumblr. I really struggled with writer’s block during this. I had tonnes of ideas, but none of them wanted to work for me. I eventually got through with this idea today, so it hasn’t been beta read (but hardly any of my work is). Hope you all enjoy it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Ben was leaving the letter for Kathy before he left for Portugal with Louise, all he could hear was Callum’s voice begging him not to go. It was heart breaking. He knew exactly what he was giving up; ever since Callum walked into his life, he didn’t feel the pain he had felt since Paul’s death. And to be honest, Ben liked the way that Callum seemed to numb his pain. He had hated breaking Callum’s heart earlier when he tried to stop him. Yeah, he’d do anything for Louise, she was his sister, after all, but their shared pain over their lost loves wasn’t a substitute for the way he felt when he was with Callum.</p><p> </p><p>Standing with Louise and Phil while Lisa made her way over to them, Ben knew he was being a coward, but his dad and his nan had drilled into him over the years that “family means everything”. So, that’s how he found himself waiting to leave with Louise, to be the big brother she deserved and to support her in her new motherhood. After all, who else was going to support her: Lisa and Phil?</p><p> </p><p>As the five of them climbed into the taxi with Phil making plans to send for Denny soon, Ben began to feel that doubt monster creep back in. He knew he was giving up one family for the other, but he felt that it was the right thing considering what he had done. Leaving Walford would protect Callum and Lexi in the long run.</p><p> </p><p>Lexi. Ben pulled out his wallet and looked at the picture Callum had put in there of the two of them. He smiled tightly at Louise as she told him he’ll see Lexi again, but then Ben caught a glimpse of Callum coming out the Vic. That was when Ben made his mind up. He wasn’t going to leave Walford. Leave Lexi. Leave Callum. He was going to face the consequences head on and stay with his true family.</p><p> </p><p>Phil seemed to know exactly what was going through Ben’s head and started to tell him to forget about his life in Walford, but Ben wasn’t having any of it. He was shouting for the driver to stop the taxi and before he knew it, he was jumping out the car and running back towards the market.</p><p> </p><p>He knew that he was being foolish by staying, but by leaving he was leaving his heart behind. He wasn’t complete without his heart.</p><p> </p><p>But Ben finally felt complete as he stood outside the cafe with Callum, Lexi, and Lola. As much as he wanted to be there for Louise as she entered motherhood, he knew this was where he was meant to be.</p><p> </p><p>"Want to ring Jay?" Ben asked Lola. "The five of us can have dinner together?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'd love to," Lola said with a smile. "But Jay's promised a date night and I was gonna ask Pops if he would watch Lex."</p><p> </p><p>"We'll take Lex," Callum said without hesitating. "Make it a celebration dinner now that Ben's staying with us. Huh, Lex, how does that sound?"</p><p> </p><p>"Mac and cheese?" Lexi asked as she looked up to Callum with a bright smile on her face.</p><p> </p><p>"I guess we could do that," Ben agreed, knowing how much Lexi loved Callum's mac and cheese.</p><p> </p><p>"If you're sure," Lola said. "I wouldn't want to ruin your reunion. I'm sure Pops won't mind..."</p><p> </p><p>"Nonsense, Lo'," Ben interrupted. "I can't think of a better way to celebrate staying than spending time with my boyfriend and daughter."</p><p> </p><p>"Alright then, if you're sure," Lola said as she bent down to face Lexi. "You have a good time with your dad and Callum. I'll see you later."</p><p> </p><p>"You'll see here in the morning," Ben corrected. "You and Jay enjoy yourselves tonight, we'll keep Lex and stay over at number 55. It's empty anyway."</p><p> </p><p>"See you in the morning mum," Lexi smiled as she wrapped her arms around Lola's neck to hug her.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay baby, have fun with your dad and Callum," Lola said returning the hug, then she turned to Callum. "I'm trusting you to be the responsible one here, Callum. I know it'snot a school day tomorrow, but I still want her in bed at a reasonable time, and not too much sugar."</p><p> </p><p>Callum nodded in agreement as Lola walked away from the trio to go and find Jay. She'd tell him about the upturn in events and their child-free night.</p><p> </p><p> "Why are you trusting Callum to be responsible?" Ben demanded as Lola walked away. "I am Lexi's dad, why can't you trust me to be the responsible one?"</p><p> </p><p>Callum just laughed at Ben's antics and bent down to lift Lexi up on to his hip. "Your mum knows your dad too well, doesn't she? She knows he will just spoil you rotten tonight and wanted me to play bad cop when your dad is letting you away with murder. But what your mum doesn't know won't hurt her."</p><p> </p><p> "Can we go to the park?" Lexi asked.</p><p> </p><p>"Of course we can," Callum answered before Ben could. "And we'll even get ice cream if you want, because..."</p><p> </p><p> "It's never too cold for ice cream," Ben and Lexi chimed together, finishing Callum's often heard catchphrase.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Later on, after they had been to the park, Ben decided it was time to spend some time with his daughter, just the two of them, while Callum made dinner.  Maybe explain to her about his behaviour earlier.</p><p> </p><p>"Lex? Remember what I said earlier?"</p><p> </p><p>"That you were going away for a few days," Lexi said as she looked up from her picture.  "What happened now that you're staying?"</p><p> </p><p>"I was going to help auntie Lou with Peggy," Ben explained. "But grandad and Lisa were going too, so I decided that I was better off staying here with my own baby."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not a baby, daddy," Lexi admonished with her usual sass. "I'll be 8 soon."</p><p> </p><p>"I know that, but no matter what age you are, you'll always be my baby girl."</p><p> </p><p>"So, you're not going anywhere then?" Lexi suddenly questioned. "You're going to stay here with me?"</p><p> </p><p>"Of course," Ben smiled as he opened his arms to Lexi, encouraging her to climb onto his lap for a cuddle. "You mean everything to me, and I don't want to miss you growing up now, do I?"</p><p> </p><p>"Everything alright in here?" Callum asked as he stuck his head around the door., smiling when he saw Ben and Lexi snuggled up on the sofa.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," Lexi smiled. "Daddy was just telling me why he decided to stay. He was going to help auntie Lou with baby Peggy, but he decided she had enough help and wanted to stay with me and see me grow up."</p><p> </p><p>"Is that so?" Callum asked as he grabbed his phone to snap a picture of Lexi and Ben the way they were.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, Lou didn't need me," Ben continued so Callum would know the story he was telling Lexi. "She has my dad and Lisa to help her. My advice won't be relevant until Peggy is much older. Oi, did you just take a picture of us?"</p><p> </p><p>"What if I did," Callum smirked in reply.</p><p> </p><p>"We weren't ready, were we princess?" Ben said as he turned to Lexi.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm always camera ready," Lexi sassed in return. "Now, let me take a picture of you and Callum."</p><p> </p><p>"Alright," Callum agreed as he handed Lexi his phone. "And don't go complaining, Ben, let's get a good picture of us. Mark the start of our future."</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, dad," Lexi agreed. "Pictures are important."</p><p> </p><p>Ben smiled at that comment from Lexi. After all, it was a picture of the two of them that kept him in the Square."Ok, let's get this show on the road, and clog up Callum's phone memory of memories of the three of us."</p><p> </p><p>That had  Callum laugh as he Callum laughing as he and Ben smashed their faces together and looked towards Lexi who was telling them to say 'mac and cheese', which caused another round of laughter to erupt from the three of them.</p><p> </p><p>Soon, both Ben and Callum's phones were being passed around as photos were being snapped left, right, and center.  They were definitely beginning to make new memories and Ben was sure he had made the right decision to stay.</p><p> </p><p>When the timer went off to say that the mac and cheese was ready, Callum said he would put together three bowls and bring them through while Lexi chose a film to watch. Ben trusted Lexi to choose a suitable film herself, so he made his way into the kitchen with Callum to get a bit of time with his boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p> "Was that okay?" Ben asked. "Telling Lex that the reason I was leaving was to help Lou with Peggy?"</p><p> </p><p>"She's your daughter, Ben," Callum replied. "It's up to you what you tell her. But make sure you let the others know about it too."</p><p> </p><p>"I will, that's why I told you," Ben said as he came up to Callum and hugged him from behind. "I know there's going to be some whispers, but as long as the important people know  what I've told Lex, the story should stay that way."</p><p> </p><p>"As long as you let Lola and Jay know what you've said, you'll be fine," Callum reassured. "And I'll talk to Stuart. I know he won't be around Lexi without you around, but I don't want him to say something to you when Lexi is around."</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks for that, Callum," Ben smiled. "Now, let's get Lexi fed before she starts to complain. We want to stay in her good books tonight so she'll go to bed at a reasonable time and let us make some more memories that are just for us."</p>
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